No matter what your thoughts are about the so-called Intellectual Dark Web, you should read the NY Times article that has inflamed the debate.

Then you should read Alice Dreger’s article about why she asked to be left out of the article. She nails the major problem at the heart of the whole IDW thing, namely, “How is this really about intellectualism, darkness, or a special web? If these people are having conversations that are so rare ”in the culture,“ how is it that they have millions of followers and pack auditoriums?”

The Cumberbatch-starring adaptation of the brilliant Patrick Melrose novels began this week (that’s the trailer, above). There’s a great feature on it’s author, Edward St Aubyn from 2014 that is required reading for Melrose fans. And the NY Times has a whole list of links you might want to check out if you want to get really nerds about it.

Staying with TV, the New Yorker has a long feature on Ryan ‘Glee’ Murphy that’s really interesting.